There is a difference in the number of taxpayers'' data maintained by the Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) and that available with the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), reflecting discrepancy in actual number of registered persons with the income tax department.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday that the Federal Board of Revenue''s (FBR) exercise of cleansing of ''NTN Master Index'' showed difference between the numbers of registered taxpayers maintained by the RTOs and those available with the PRAL. Total population of the taxpayers at the RTOs is more as compared to the numbers maintained by the PRAL.
It has yet to be seen whether the taxpayers are ''dormant'' and have closed their business activities or there is some other reason for the difference of the data between the RTOs and the PRAL. In this regard, the data of the dormant taxpayers would be compared with the RTOs and PRAL.
Meanwhile, the issue of the ''cleansing'' of the NTN Master Index was also discussed during the last Chief Commissioners'' Conference. In the conference, Chief of Automation made a detailed presentation and it was noticed that the pace of cleansing of Master Index needed acceleration. It was also noticed that population of taxpayers varies in records of field office and PRAL.
After detailed discussion, it was decided that the population data shall be reconciled by field formations and PRAL. Secondly, the cases where the jurisdiction could not be ascertained may be kept in suspense account until the details and jurisdiction is ascertained and then forwarded to the concerned LTU/RTO.